South Norfolk

South Norfolk's population expanded between the last two censuses. At the same time there were changes in work life, religion and housing tenure.

The population passed 120,000

Between the last two censuses, the population of South Norfolk increased by 12%, from just under 111,000 to 124,000.

The addition of about 13,000 people means this area's population increased faster than the rate of growth across England (up 7.9% since the 2001 census).

In 2011, South Norfolk was home to, on average, 0.98 people per football pitch-sized piece of land.

Population density was lower than the average across Eastof England

Population density (usual residents per football pitch-sized piece of land) across Eastof England, March 2011 (larger dots represent greater increase since 2001)

An older South Norfolk

Census 2011 data also show a change in the local population's average age.

Between the last two censuses, the median age of South Norfolk increased by two years, from 43 to 45 years.

This rural area had a higher average age than Eastof England and remained older than the average local authority area across England (39 years of age).

The rise in age was because of an increase of almost 5,100 people between the ages of 60 and 69 years, while the population between 30 and 39 years decreased by about 1,000.

About 14% of people in South Norfolk are aged between 60 and 69 years

Percentage of usual residents in England, East and South Norfolk by 10 year age band, March 2001 and March 2011

Fewer people worked long hours

The percentage of employed people in South Norfolk working more than 49 hours in the week before the census decreased from 17% to 12% in the decade to 2011.

In 2011, just under 1 in 30 (3.0%) people aged 16 to 74 (in employment the week before the Census 2011) said they had worked less than 16 hours the previous week, compared with 2.0% in 2001.

The proportion of people working long hours fell at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of Eastof England (from 15% in 2001 to 11% in 2011). Across England, the percentage fell from 13% to 10%.

Long hour working in South Norfolk decreased by 4.4 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 to 74 (in employment the week before the Census 2011) in South Norfolk, Eastof England and England that said they had worked over 49 hours the week before completing the census, March 2001 and March 2011

Religion in South Norfolk

The number of people in South Norfolk that described themselves as having no religion increased from about 17,000 in 2001 to about 36,000 in 2011. This represents a change from 15% to 29% of the local population.

The percentage increased by more than the average across Eastof England (from 17% to 28%) and the average across England (from 15% to 25%).

The number of people in South Norfolk that described themselves as Christian decreased from about 84,000 in 2001 to about 77,000 in 2011 (from 76% to 62%). The number of people who did not disclose their religious affiliation increased from about 8,800 to just over 9,500. However, as a percentage of the total population, this represented a decrease from 8.0% to 7.7%.

Just over 490 people (0.3%) said they identified with a religion other than Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism or Sikhism, up from just over 280 in 2001 (0.4%).

There are many factors that can cause changes to the religious profile of an area, such as migration and varying fertility rates between religious groups. Changes may also be caused by differences in the way individuals choose to self-identify between censuses.

The population without a religion in South Norfolk increased by 13 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in England, East and South Norfolk by religion, March 2001 and March 2011

Disability in South Norfolk

The percentage of South Norfolk residents whose day-to-day activities are limited a lot by a long-term health problem or disability increased from 2.6% to 3.4% between the last two censuses.

The percentage who reported being limited a little in their day-to-day activities remained close to 7.9%, while the percentage of South Norfolk residents whose day-to-day activities are not limited by a long-term health problem or disability remained close to 89%.

The proportion of people who are considerably limited by a long-term health problem or disability increased at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of Eastof England (from 2.7% in 2001 to 3.4% in 2011). Across England, the percentage increased from 3.1% to 3.8%.

The proportion of people who are limited a lot by a long-term health problem or disability was lower than across Eastof England

Percentage of usual residents that reported being considerably limited in their day-to-day activities across local authority areas in Eastof England and the average across England, March 2011

Rise in private renting

The percentage of privately rented homes increased in South Norfolk, but at a slower rate than across Eastof England.

In South Norfolk, the proportion of private renting increased from 7.6% in 2001 to 11% in 2011. During the same period, the regional proportion increased from 8.6% to 15%.

Across Eastof England, the share of privately rented homes increased from 8.6% to 15%.

The rate of social housing in South Norfolk remained close to 11%, while the rate of home ownership decreased from 78% to 75%.

Private renting in South Norfolk increased by 3.6 percentage points

Percentage of households in South Norfolk, Eastof England and England that rented privately, March 2001 and March 2011

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